A two-year, $8 million renovation of the downtown Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center is nearing completion, and hotel management says work should be done by the end of the month—just in time for New Year’s Eve festivities downtown.
Though few locals probably realized the renovation was underway, work crews have been updating the 290 guest rooms and suites, three floors at a time, since 2012. More recently, contractors have turned their attention to the ground-floor lobby, bar and restaurant, all of which are receiving an overhaul and will have a more airy, contemporary feel when work is done.
Though many consider the Hilton, located in the former Capitol House Hotel, to be a relatively new addition to the downtown scene, it opened nearly nine years ago, which means it was time for a renovation, says general manager Daniel Rhodes.
“With a high-end hotel you expect to update it every eight to 10 years,” Rhodes says. “We’ve enjoyed a pretty high occupancy here and decided now was the time to take one of the better hotels in Baton Rouge and make it even better.”
Besides the renovation, changes to the property will include the addition of a two-bedroom, two-bathroom luxury suite. It will be located on the mezzanine level in space previously occupied by a spa, which has closed and will not reopen.
The hotel was developed by Commercial Properties Realty Trust, which spent $70 million restoring it in the mid-2000s. In 2012, it sold the hotel for $40 million to RockBridge Capital.
Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer says the renovation is yet another example of downtown’s continued resurgence.
“This shows the owners’ commitment to downtown,” he says. “They’re such a leader in hospitality downtown. It’s going to be beautiful when it’s finished.” —Stephanie Riegel
